Alive
by Dru-girl
Summary: "It's so dark in here… I… I don't know where I am… everything is just so foggy. Last thing I remember I was jogging in Central Park; and then I fell and… that's all I can remember." Clary's taken away from everything that she knows and is thrown into a world vastly different than her own. She's going to be forced do to some things that nobody would ever wish upon their worst enemy.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the TMI characters or the series!

AN: please read and review! I'm always looking for some feedback! _**Italics is her thinking**_

 _It's so dark in here… I… I don't know where I am… everything is just so foggy. Last thing I remember I was jogging in Central Park; and then I fell and… that's all I can remember._ My body is jostled around the confined space that I'm in. It has to be a trunk because I can hear the sound of cars around me and I can feel the vibration of the vehicle I'm being held in. The car hits a bump and I'm thrown to the floor with a heavy thud, I groan as I try to maneuver my way back into a sitting position. It's a rather difficult task to complete when your hands are bound together behind your back. Regardless I force myself to sit back up and try to take in my surroundings, I don't hear any other cars any more, and this can't be a good sign. The car jerks to a stop and I plummet forward landing on my face.

"Son of a bitch!" I mumble just as the trunk is thrust open. I'm blinded by the sudden change in light, but when my eyes finally adjust I see a man reaching for me. He's tall and well built, I know I have no chance if escape when he gets a hold of me. He grips my arm and I shriek at the sudden pressure and brute force he's using to drag me out of the car. "Where are you taking me!?" I yell at him but he just tightens his grip and pulls harder on my arm. "OW!" I shout at him. He halts in his path. I see him turn but then I feel burning pain from my cheek, he slapped me across the face. He pulls my face inches away from his.

"Know your place girl!" he says deathly quiet. I look up at my captor but notice a great building behind him. The sign reads The Institute. _Where am I?_ He drags me up the vast number of steps and proceeds to toss me to the floor like I'm mere trash. He bangs on the door and it's soon opened by a woman in extravagant robes and layers upon layers of sparkling jewelry.

"Blackthorn!" she exclaims "What a treat!" her eyes move to me "And you brought me another creature for my collection! How delightful!"

"I know you're always looking for fresh meat, I saw this lovely thing a few weeks ago and knew you would just love to get your hands on her. She'll be a nice addition to the collection." He said in an almost bored tone.

"You know me so well Blackthorn! What's the price for this trinket?" she asks excitedly. _Price? She's buying me!?_

"$15,000 for the girl." He says after little thought.

"Being generous I see!" the woman smiles deviously "You have yourself a deal! Come follow me and I'll fetch your wages!" she all but skips inside the building. Blackthorn, as she called him, grabs me once more and drags me inside the doors. I try to resist but he just grabs a fist full of my hair instead and continues walking and dragging me. Tears fill my eyes because of the pain but I refuse to let them fall. We pass a dining room filled with girls from various ages to body types.

All their eyes are trained on me, some watch on in pity other's eyes portray emptiness. It's as if actions like these are a daily routine and no longer bother them. My stomach sinks, I know what this place is, but I don't want to accept that this will soon be my fate. As we continue through the building my fears grow in a matter of seconds, I know exactly what this place is…

The woman walks behind a desk and she rummages through a drawer. Once she has what she came for she returns to my captor. She passes him a large handful of cash. He releases my hair and I collapse to the floor. He counts the cash to be sure everything is in order, I assume.

"Pleasure as always Dorthea." He nods and mumbles, he turns to leave but the woman, Dorthea, stops him.

"Since you've been so generous to me Blackthorn I've arranged for Jessamine to express my gratitude, she's in your usual room. On the house today as well. Take it as a thank you for finding me this angel." She says with a sickening smirk on her face. Blackthorn smirks in response and nods his head, as if to say thank you.

"I knew you'd like this one…" he walks down the hallway to a door dark as night, he knocks twice and the door opens. He moves inside the doorway. The door slams shut with an audible _Bang!_

"My dear…" the woman says to me, I look up at her "Dear sweet trinket, what is your name?"

"Clary…" I say quietly fearful that she'll smack me just as he did.

"Well my sweet Clary welcome to your new home!"

"Where… if I may… what exactly is 'home'…" I mumble fearful that she'll say exactly what I don't want to hear. She laughs.

"Trinket this is what people call a brothel… but that's such a filthy and outdated word. I like to call this The Institute… and this will be your home for quite some time. I suggest you get used to life here dear. I can already tell you're going to be quite a big hit…"


	2. Chapter 2

I know that it has been a really long time since I've updated anything… I kind of had a stressful and draining year. I lost the will to do anything creative. A couple months ago I started to overcome these obstacles and I've started to regain the joy that creating stories brings to my life. So I sincerely apologize for the delay and I hope that you all are still interested in this story.

Disclaimer: I own the plot but the characters are all Cassandra Claire's.

Chapter 2

Clary POV

I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I just sat there on the ground waiting to wake up from this nightmare. When I wake up I'll be at home with my parents and my brother, everything will be fine and we'll all have a family breakfast like always. This isn't really happening. It can't be happening. Madame Dorthea snaps her fingers in front of my face bringing me back to reality.

"Clary dear! Come on, up now. We've got places to be my darling angel." She starts to walk away leaving me with the only option of following her. We walk through a bunch of different hallways with so many different colored doors. Madame Dorthea continually babbles about how I'm going to be a perfect fit to her collection. I numbly follow her until we reach a door that says 'restricted' across it. Dorthea opens the door and beckons me to follow her. As I walk into the room I notice it feels like a laboratory. "Sit up here dear." Dorthea says motioning to the doctor's office bed. I slowly move and try to sit on the raised surface without falling but it's hard to do when your hands are still tied up. She notices this and says "Oh! Goodness I forgot to undo those, it'll be much easier and more comfortable for you if those are off." She walks over to me and removes the ties that had my hands bound. I feel the ties release and I automatically reach for my wrists, gently running my hands on the slight burns that have formed from the ties. "We will need to run a few tests to make sure everything is fine and what kind of work I can have you do." I don't acknowledge what she's said, I just close my eyes and bow my head. "Honey listen, I see value in you, and I take excellent care of my valuable trinkets. You decide if that treatment continues based on how you act, if you are difficult you lose value, if you don't do as I ask you will be treated like trash. I am a great ally but I am your worst nightmare if you cross me. Keep that in mind." I nod my head,

"What kind of tests…" I hesitantly ask her.

"First we start with a simple question, and based on your answer we determine the test we will conduct." I nod once again.

"What's the question…?" I mumble

"Many partners have you been with?" she asks. I look down and blush. "No need to be ashamed honey we just need to know if there's a possibility of STI's, pregnancy, etc." she says "I just need a number."

"None…" I mumble not looking at her.

"I'm sorry repeat that for me trinket…" I look up and she looks slightly shocked.

"None…" the biggest smile spreads across her face.

"And how old are you?" she says glowing with happiness

"Twenty-four" I state, I feel my face twist into a slight scowl "Why?" I ask

"You are the jackpot I've been waiting for! This is fantastic! I can put you on display… I… I can auction you off! Honey you're every man's fantasy, they'll be dying to get their hands on you! They'll pay big bucks for you! I can increase your charge for the first two months because you're untouched!" She abruptly stands up and grabs my hand "You my dear are my most valuable piece in my collection! Come with me we'll get you the best room, and the best attire. She drags me out of the lab and towards the stairs. We walk up two flights of stairs before we come to a white door. This will be your room, the balcony leads to the main hall where the customers come in, and it will be your perch during the bidding war that will start in two days. I want you to get comfortable, your outfits will be brought up before dinner. I expect you to be changed and refreshed for dinner at seven, you will sit at my table with my other prized possessions. I nod my head.

"Thank you Madame Dorthea…" she smiles and replies with a farewell ending with one of her affectionate pet names. I look around the room, it's quite large. Everything in here is white though and it makes me uncomfortable, my room at home is covered in different colors and its one giant mess compared to this suite. Home. I feel a pang in my chest, I long to be there right now. My eyes water as I think of my morning. I was mad at Jonathan, I don't even remember the reason why I was so mad. I left the house ignoring my family to cool down with a run through the park. That's the last thing they'll remember of me. I won't see any of them again. I won't ever hear my mother's sweet voice or another sarcastic joke from my father. I won't ever get to tell them I love them. I won't get to say sorry. There are so many things I wish I had done differently. I shouldn't have gone on that run. I shouldn't have gotten so mad over something stupid.

I'm bawling now over the 'what if's'… I can't control the sobs escaping me. They rack my body, I'm hunched over myself as I sink to the floor. I'm in physical pain from my thoughts. I feel as though my heart will give out at any minute. I bury my face into my knees as my hands go to my hair. I don't know how long I sit here slightly rocking myself back and forth, hoping and praying that this will all fade away. But it doesn't. I'm drawn out of my self-wallowing by two sharp knocks on my door. I make my way up off the floor and slowly move towards the door. I open it slightly and see a tall girl that looks to be about my age. Her dark brown eyes match her flowing dark hair which styled to perfection and her outfit is dark, mysterious, and rather revealing. It matches her look well. She has a large stack of glittery and silky outfits in her arms, all in the colors white or gold.

"Hi, I'm Isabelle."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hey guys so here's another chapter and I hope you like it! Reviews are always appreciated! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Cassie Clare owns the characters and I own the plot line.

Chapter 3

Clary POV

The girl named Isabelle just stares at me. I realize that I have yet to answer. "Hi…" I mumble. She continues to stare at me. She moves into the room and sets my new things down on the bed.

"I haven't seen Madame Dorthea this excited like ever… she's been saving this suite for as long as I've been here… you must be something really special." She says looking around my room. She slowly moves closer to me until we are about a foot apart. "So I was told to get you ready for dinner, go take a shower to freshen up and then I'll get started on your hair." I nod and make my way towards the bathroom in my room when I hear "It'll be ok…" I turn around and look back, her eyes are soft and I realize just how young she really is, probably around my age if not a year younger. She notices she has my attention and continues "It's not so bad all of the time… you get used to it… and since you're one of Madame Dorthea's favorites you won't have to worry about the low life creeps… you'll get the best clients she has. They usually aren't so bad…" I don't know if she's trying to comfort me and if she is it doesn't really work. All the people that come here are low life creeps… you'd have to be too actually enjoy a place like this. I just nod at her and continue on to the bathroom. I shut the door and turn the shower on to a nice warm temperature. I peel my clothes off and dare a look in the mirror. I see my reflection. I see a girl that looks about 18 when I'm really 24, I see pale freckled skin, and a curly mop of bright auburn hair. Some sicko is really going to get a kick at how young I look… I shiver and turn away. I finish striping off my remaining garments and step into the shower. I stand under the water for a few minutes before I grab the shampoo and conditioner that was already in here.

I rinse everything off and step out of the shower going over to the cabinet to grab a towel. I suddenly realize I have no clean clothes in here so I make my way over to the door and open in slightly.

"Isabelle…" her head snaps up "could you bring me some clean clothes I forgot them…" I trail off as I watch her walk over to the large pile and sort through it till she finds what looks like white shorts and a gold halter top. She hands them to me through the small crack of the door. "Thanks…" I close the door again and change into the outfit she handed me. The top is a shiny stretchy material that reaches just above my belly button and the shorts cover hardly anything. I look at myself in the mirror and cringe, this is not me at all, and I hardly can pull of something like this. I gather my dirty clothes and head back into the bedroom. I set my old clothes on my bed next to the pile of glittering and risqué pieces Isabelle brought me. "Can I keep the clothes I came here in?" I ask Isabelle hoping I'm allowed to keep the last pieces of my old life.

"If you wish to… some girls don't want the reminder of their old life so they get rid of them. But you are more than welcome to keep them." I nod signaling that I wish to keep them. "Follow me please." She says beckoning me to walk to the vanity. I sit down facing the mirror. "You have beautiful hair… and your eyes are so vibrant!"

"Thank you" I mummer. She runs her fingers through my hair and begins to dry it. I zone out and after what seems like a few minutes she's finished, when really I know about 30 minutes must have passed.

"Straight or curly?" she asks me.

"I'm sorry?"

"Do you want me to straighten your hair or curl it for dinner?" she asks again.

"Can't I just leave it natural?" I ask. I never do my hair, I usually just let it dry and put it in a ponytail.

"Madame Dorthea prefers we look 100% presentable at all times because you never know when you'll be requested." She says.

"Of course…" we sit in silence for a short breath of time. "I guess I'd like it straightened then… please." She smiles and nods her head. She gets to work on my hair and she's humming to herself. "How long have you been here…?" I can't stop myself from asking.

"3 years" she murmurs.

"How old are you?" I ask

"Twenty-two…" she trails off and looks kind of lost in thought.

"How did they get you?" I ask.

"I was walking back from class, I was running behind and I didn't even notice they were following me. They grabbed me and dragged me kicking and screaming toward their black van. It was darker outside and no one noticed them taking me. I bit the guy that was holding a hand over my mouth and I tried to make a run for it. They grabbed me again before I even made it two feet away. Blackthorn, the guy that brought you in, knocked me out and the next thing I knew was that I was here. Madame Dorthea liked my look it was exotic and she said that I was perfect for her high class clientele… I've been here ever since." She looks intently at my hair "I missed my older brother's wedding, he and Magnus had been planning it for a while and they had set the date for the spring of two years ago, and my little brother would be starting high school this year…" she says looking sad.

"I had a fight with my brother and I went for a run to calm down… I was rude to my parents as I left the house… they got me when I was taking a breather. Next thing I knew I was in a van and then I was being dragged up the stairs of this place…" I tell her. Her eyes meet mine. She sighs before squeezing my shoulder in a comforting way before going back to my hair. I have a feeling we're going to be good friends…

"There all done!" she says smiling. I look in the mirror and I see that my hair reaches down to my waist. "Now we just have to add some liner and mascara and you should be all good!" she says excitedly.

After she's done with that she babbles on about how she wishes her hair was a "fun" color like mine. I just roll my eyes and follow her out of the room and down towards the stairs. As I get closer to the main floor I hear a bunch of chatter, it gets louder as we reach the dining area. There's at least 50 girls here and they all have their own tables. I feel like I'm back in high school trying to find a spot to sit in a cafeteria full of cliques. I follow Isabelle towards the table that Madame Dorthea sits at. As we pass by some girls fall silent and I can feel their eyes on me. We reach the table and there are 5 other girls sitting there. I realize these are Madame Dorthea's trinkets… an exclusive table for her favorites. I gingerly sit down and look at the plate that's in front of me. Dinner flies by it seems everyone is talking and I'm just sitting here taking everything in.

Eventually the dining room starts to clear as girls go back to their rooms. I'm about to get up from the table when a chime sounds throughout the halls. Madame Dorthea's eyes light up and she hurries to the front. I look at Isabelle slightly confused.

"A client has come in…" she says and I panic slightly. I know Madame Dorthea said I wouldn't be available for a little while but my nerves still buzz. I hear Madame's voice coming closer to us. The girl next me to murmurs something about a big spender. Madame comes into view and moves towards our table.

"These are my best girls, any one of them will meet your needs… which of my precious trinkets would you like to play with?" she asks the tall figure behind her. I can't see his face… all I see is the dark suit he wears and a glimpse of golden hair. The man moves out from behind Madame Dorthea. My breath catches. He is the most handsome man I've ever seen, his face looks like it was craved by an angel, his skin has a healthy golden glow that makes my stomach turn to butterflies. And his eyes…. Oh his eyes…. Like pools of molten amber-gold. I realize that I'm staring at him and it takes me another second to realize that he's staring back at me. I blush and look down.

"I'd like the red head" he says.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Hey guys! So it's been a couple weeks since I've written a new chapter, but school has been picking up lately and I'm jam packed with homework and papers and projects. I will update as often as I can! Thank you to the readers that reviewed and were worried that I was taking another long break I really appreciate your concern! Now on to a new chapter! Review if you'd like, I always love feedback or thoughts from you guys!

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Cassie Claire.

Chapter 4

Clary POV

"I'd like the red head" he says. My eyes widen in shock and a soft gasp leaves my mouth.

"I'm sorry Mr. Herondale but my angel isn't on the market yet. We're having a bid for her innocence starting next week, highest bidder gets to be her first." Madame Dorthea says. She flaunts my inexperience to him, as if it'll be the most taunting thing on the planet. His gaze falls on me again as if he's analyzing me down to the very minute detail.

"May I?" he asks gesturing to me. Madame Dorthea looks skeptical but nods anyway. He moves towards me and reaches his hand out to me. I look at Izzy but she looks confused at to what is happening, I look at Madame Dorthea checking to see what I was supposed to do. She nods her head and so I reach my hand out and place my hand in his. He pulls me up and leads me back to Madame Dorthea. "What do you think the highest bid will be?" he asks her still holding my hand. I start to fidget and look down at my feet.

"For this innocent angel… I'd say $25,000… Our usual rate is $500 but my trinket is an untouched treasure. Surly she'll be worth a heavy sum for her first time." Madame Dorthea's eyes sparkle at the thought of making money.

"Done. I'll even go above that… I'll pay $75,000. But I have a condition…" he trails off. I feel his hand leave mine and trial up my arm and move to my waist. His hold on me is possessive but still gentle, it's almost comforting.

"What's the condition…?" Madame Dorthea looks conflicted. She likes the idea of all that money but is weary of what the condition may be.

"She is mine and only mine. I don't want anyone else to be able to have her. I know it's asking a lot but the way I see it is that I've bought her from you. At least for a long time…" he says smirking down at me. I flush at the thought of this man basically owning me. What would he expect of me, what will he have me do? Sure he's handsome and obviously rich, but will he be cruel to me. I definitely don't see him going easy on me, he's obviously experienced. For heaven's sake he basically screams sex when you see him. He might be a creep that gets off on young girls, that's probably why he chose me. Why pick the inexperienced girl when you have a whole house full of experienced bombshells?

"You Mr. Herondale drive a very appealing bargain… tell you what, come to the auction on Monday. See your competition, see my angel again on display, and if you really want her and there are no bidders bidding higher than $25,000 I'll gladly take your $75,000 and your condition." She give Mr. Herondale a devious smile.

"I was hoping to have some company tonight but I guess I can wait until Monday…" his sentence falls off. Hinting that he wants something in return for waiting until Monday.

"Tell you what." She trails off, my guess is for suspense. My stomach twists and I know I'm not going to like where this is going already. I was lucky enough to get off the hook until Monday, but I knew it was too good to be true. "I'll let you have a sneak peek of sorts…" I freeze at her words. What the hell does she mean 'he can have a sneak peek?'

"I'm intrigued do explain." He says meeting Dorthea's gaze.

"Well I'll allow you and my angel to 'get to know each other' a little better, if you know what I mean…" I look up at Mr. Herondale to see his reaction to hearing her offer. He wears an excited smirk on his face. His golden eyes are lightened with excitement. "but another one of my trinkets will be in the room with you to make sure you don't cross a line with my angel. I can't have her losing her value… I mean virtue." Madame Dorthea laughs lightly "Slip of the tongue I suppose." I move my eyes to look at Mr. Herondale. Once my eyes reach him I find that he's already staring down at me.

"You have a deal." He says without ever taking his eyes off me. I know I should feel nervous and I should probably hate this guy, I mean he intends to force himself on me by next week Monday. But I can't bring myself to really hate him just yet. I don't know what it is but there is something about him that makes me feel like I'm going to be ok. He definitely intimidates me, I mean he looks like a god among men and here I am. I can't even compare to him.

"Isabelle my temptress, please escort our lovely client here and angel back to her suite… keep a watchful eye on them too please darling. You know my rules…" Madame Dorthea trails off before turning and walking back to her quarters. I feel a tug on my arm and I look up at the golden eyes that have me so hypnotized.

"Come on angel let's 'get to know each other'…" we follow Izzy up the stairs to my suite and when we reach the doors the handsome buyer gestures for me to continue through the doors. I stiffly walk through the doors and stand awkwardly in the middle of my room. I see Izzy walk in after Mr. Herondale. The silence is so thick you could cut it with a knife. I keep flicking my eyes between Izzy and the perfect stranger. He just stands there taking everything in. He slowly walks around my room, dragging his hand across my bed. He looks at the pile of clothes on the bed and then back at me. "Couldn't figure out what to wear?" he asks jokingly. I look down.

"No I just moved into the room, Madame Dorthea sent those up just before dinner. I haven't had the chance to put them away…" I mumble. My eyes are still trained on the floor. I sense that he is moving closer to me, but it's almost as if he's suddenly become cautious.

"How long have you been here then?" He asks softly moving a few steps closer

"About a day I believe." I reply getting slightly breathless as he continues to take another step closer. I can feel him hovering just behind me.

"Where are you from?"

"New York City" I say hoping to sound confident and sure of myself, like he hasn't affected me at all.

"What a wonderful place, I live there and my business is there…" he's basically presses up behind me now. "How old are you? You look about 17… maybe even 18." I feel his breath on my neck.

"I'm twenty four…" he makes a humming sound in the back of this throat. Like he's satisfied with the response.

"And you really have never been with a man before, never been brought to the brink of passion…? Never known the joy of feeling fully lost in someone else's body?" his mouth brushes across my neck and a small gasp escapes me.

"No…"

"What's your name angel… your real name?" his hands have found their way to my waist his hold is firm but gentle. I'm not afraid of him, oddly I feel safe in his half embrace.

"Clary…" I say while turning my head to look into his eyes. His sweet and smoldering golden eyes meet mine.

"I like that name, it's pretty. Suits you very well angel." I feel him release me and move around me heading for the door.

"What's your name?" I ask quickly. I see him stop, I look down as quickly as those words left my mouth. I shouldn't have asked that. I feel a hand gently lift my chin up. His minty breath fans my face. His lips hover just above mine, my eyes flutter closed waiting for the kiss.

"Call me Jace…"


End file.
